


Kissing Better

by danceswithgary



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-11
Updated: 2011-02-11
Packaged: 2017-10-15 14:10:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/161595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithgary/pseuds/danceswithgary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John didn't expect his sarcastic suggestion to play out so well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kissing Better

  
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](http://pics.livejournal.com/danceswithgary/pic/002fpyg4)   


 

"I'm sorry, Colonel. There's just no way I'm going to be able to play the game tonight. Just moving my fingers is agonizing and typing is out of the question." Rodney held out his bandaged hands. Both palms were wrapped in white gauze to cover burns sustained shoving an overheating Ancient device into one of the blast chambers that Cadman had suggested for the labs. "I'll probably be useless for days. I'm not sure how I'm going to get anything done if I can't use my hands."

Knowing how painful even first-degree burns could be, John almost winced in sympathy before deciding sarcasm would work better as a distraction. "Any chance you'll stop complaining if I kiss it better?"

Rodney's mouth dropped open in apparent shock, his eyes wide as he stared at John. "W-what?"

After a quick glance to make sure they were alone in the far corner of the infirmary, John stepped a little closer to the bed that Rodney was perched on and reached out to cradle one of Rodney's hands in his. Bending over, John barely grazed the bandage with his lips then raised his head to grin at Rodney's expression. "There, all better."

It took a few moments for the shock to dissolve, and then Rodney responded with a disdainful sniff and a haughty, "You call that a kiss?"

John straightened and frowned, not sure he liked how his little joke had fallen flat. "Yeah, I do."

Rodney huffed in apparent disgust and shook his head before hopping down from the bed. He walked around John and headed for the door without a word. John followed, determined to find out what Rodney thought was wrong with John's technique. He caught up with Rodney in the hallway and walked alongside him for a few moments before asking, "What would you call it?"

His only answer was another huff and a shrug as they entered a transporter, where Rodney glared at John until he tapped their destination to spare Rodney's fingers. When they exited, John fell into step with Rodney once again, unwilling to let the kissing conundrum drop but deciding discretion was called for. He walked into Rodney's room without waiting for an invitation, barely waiting for the door to close before asking impatiently, "Well? You going to answer me or what?"

Rodney turned to face John with a look of disbelief. "What? And why are you here? I told you I wasn't going to be able to play tonight."

Not really understanding why it was suddenly so important to know what Rodney thought about John's kisses, when it had started out as a stupid joke, John asked, "What would you call what I did?"

"Certainly not a kiss." Rodney toed off his shoes and padded over to his bed in his stocking feet, dropping down to sit on the edge with a tired-sounding sigh. "Are we done now, Colonel?"

John frowned and shook his head. "You think you could do better?"

"Of course I could." Rodney raised one hand in a dismissive wave before hissing in pain. "My hands are useless, not my lips."

A little ticked off by Rodney's implication, John snapped back, "Prove it."

Both of Rodney's eyebrows reached for the sky. "You want me to prove I'm a better kisser?"

"Yeah."

Rodney sat there on his bed so still and quiet that John began to think he'd broken him, but then his eyebrows finally descended and he asked John in a cautious voice, "How do you propose I do that?"

John hadn't thought that far ahead. To be honest, he had to admit he hadn't been doing too much productive thinking since he'd stopped by the lab and found out Rodney was in the infirmary. He briefly considered laughing and saying goodnight, but something inside nudged him closer to Rodney instead of the door. Tugging off his jacket, he let it drop to the floor, and then he bent his left arm so he could point to the bruise Teyla's stick had left on his elbow. "This is kind of sore."

The left side of Rodney's mouth almost twitched into a smile as he tilted his head to study John for a few moments, then he nodded as if he'd reached a decision. "Okay, but you need to come closer."

Shuffling forward a few more steps, John stopped just inside the space between Rodney's spread legs and waited. He looked straight ahead, focusing on the diplomas scattered on the wall instead of watching Rodney. The soft pressure on his elbow was startling and he sucked in a sharp breath at the heat and faint moisture. He felt Rodney's lips move across the slightly rough skin and he had to look down when he thought he detected the tip of Rodney's tongue tracing the edge of the bruise.

All John could see was the top of Rodney's head where the hair looked soft and a little ruffled, and John raised his hand to smooth it down just as Rodney pulled back and looked up expectantly. John felt a little awkward standing there with one arm bent, the elbow feeling a little chilled after losing the moist heat of Rodney's lips, the other arm raised in an aborted reach. He tried to think of something to say, but all he could come up with was, "Uh."

Rodney grinned up at him in triumph, looking as if Geldar had suddenly beaten Hallona - probably by cheating again. "I believe I proved my point. I'm the better kisser."

Disregarding all the alarm bells that had been going off since he walked into Rodney's room, John shook his head and disagreed. "Let's make it two out of three." He quickly discarded his first impulse to repeat the kiss on Rodney's palm because he knew Rodney would never concede if John hurt him. Instead, he dropped to his knees between Rodney's legs, enjoying the surprised jerk and hitch of Rodney's breath as he twitched his injured hands out of the way.

Reaching up, John cradled Rodney's face and gently tugged him down to meet John's lips. He kept the kiss soft, smiling into Rodney's startled gasp then venturing a lick along Rodney's lower lip. An answering smile encouraged John to continue exploring, slowly moving from one corner of Rodney's crooked mouth to the other as he pressed in closer. The kiss might have gone on for longer, but Rodney pulled back with a pained hiss after his hands connected with John's shoulders.

John sat back on his heels and grinned up at Rodney, knowing he'd beaten Rodney at their new game - without cheating. "Well?"

"I think we need a few more data points. Three out of five." Rodney's chin rose in challenge, as if he was convinced John would back out and leave. It wasn't going to happen because John really wanted to suck a kiss in the soft skin Rodney had exposed, so he simply nodded his agreement on the terms. Shifting back on the bed with a few awkward movements, Rodney suggested, "Kneeling like that has to be tough on your knees, so you might as well get up here with me."

John stood up to kick off his boots and then crawled onto the bed, careful not to jostle Rodney's hands as they arranged themselves. Licking his lips, he leaned in for the next round with a smile.

He knew he was going to win the game, even if it took all night.

  


**Author's Note:**

> Written for McSheplets Prompt 90: Change of Plans and BJ Friday Prompt: Kisses!.


End file.
